Term
Definition
Abrasion Stripper
More accurately described as "buffing stripper", which is a motorized device for removing flat cable insulation by means of one or two buffing wheels that melt the insulation and brush it away from the conductors.
Buffing Stripper
A motorized device for removing flat cable insulation by means of one or two buffing wheels that melt the insulation and brush it away from the conductors. Also called Abrasion Stripper.
Carrier Strip
Also referred to as substrate. A film that is on one side of a laminated flat cable.
Center-to-Center Distance
Pitch. Nominal distance from center-to-center of adjacent conductors within a cable. When conductors are flat, pitch is usually measured from the reference edge of a conductor to the reference edge of the adjacent conductor.
FCFC
Abbreviation for flat conductor flat cable.
Flat Cable
Also referred to as planar and/or ribbon cable. Any cable with two or more parallel conductors in the same plane encapsulated by insulating material.
Flat Conductor
A conductor with a width-to-thickness ratio of arbitrarily 5 to 1 or greater.
Flat Conductor Cable
A flat cable with a plurality of flat conductors.
Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC)
A mass termination connector for flat cable with contacts that displace the conductor insulation to complete termination.
Mass-Termination
The process of simultaneously terminating all conductors in a single operation.
Notch
The removal of the web section between conductors of a flat cable to aid in stripping, slitting, and termination.
Pitch
Nominal distance from center-to-center of adjacent conductors within a cable. When conductors are flat, pitch is usually measured from the reference edge of a conductor to the reference edge of the adjacent conductor. Spacing.
Planar Cable
Also referred to as flat and/or ribbon cable. Any cable with two or more parallel conductors in the same plane encapsulated by insulating material.
Reference Edge
Edge of cable or conductor from which measurements are made, such as in flat cable. Sometimes indicated by a thread, identification stripe, or printing. Conductors are usually identified by their sequential position from the reference edge, with number one conductor closest to this edge.
Registration
Alignment of one object with relation to another. In flat cables it involves aligning conductors with contacts or solder pads. Also called register.
Ribbon Cable
A flat cable made with parallel round conductors in the same plane. Also referred to as planar and/or flat cable. Any cable with two or more parallel conductors in the same plane encapsulated by insulating material.
Round Conductor Flat Cable (RCFC)
A cable made with parallel round conductors in the same plane.
Spacing
The distance between the centers of two adjacent conductors. Pitch.
Span
The distance between the center of the first conductor and the center of the last conductor in a flat cable.
Stripping Groove
The controlled thinning of the lamination between two conductors in a flat cable to allow easy hand separation. Tear feature.
Tear Feature
The controlled thinning of the lamination between two conductors in a flat cable to allow easy hand separation.